Beyond His Wildest Dreams
by Bria
Summary: The Doctor awakened to a Christmas beyond his wildest dreams. Ten/Rose reunion, canon divergence. No Tentoo. Kid!fic (Rose was pregnant on Doomsday).
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Doctor Who isn't mine. If it was things would be quite different. The BBC owns all and I bow before them. The Star Wars references belong to their respective copyright holders because as I have as much claim to them as I do to Doctor Who.

This is my horribly late Secret Santa gift to TenRose4ever and I'm so, so sorry it has taken so long. Chapter 2 will be posted as soon as it is ready.

Many thanks to AmeliaPonders and jeeno2 for beta services. I did make changes after they looked this over and all mistakes are my own.

* * *

The Doctor turned away from Mr. Copper and back to the TARDIS. As he did so, he heard a car whiz by from the road, the unmistakable sound of Christmas music blaring from the window that was cracked open as the driver puffed on a cigarette. _I just want you for my own. More than you could ever know. Make my wish come true, oh…_

Opening the door with an impatient jiggle, he stepped inside and closed it behind him before the song could reach the next verse and he looked around wearily. Another Christmas without Rose and it wasn't any easier than it had been the year before. At least he could make the holiday disappear with a flip of a switch.

The Doctor shed his coat, throwing it over the nearest coral strut, then wandered over to the console and punched in the dematerialization code to take the TARDIS into the Vortex. "Let's just drift for a while," he murmured to his time ship.

The TARDIS gave him a comforting hum as he wandered off to the room he was now occupying. Shedding his pinstripes for a t-shirt and his pants, he climbed into bed. Within moments he was asleep, leaving the Titanic, and the past year, behind him.

* * *

 _The Doctor engaged his respiratory bypass as he withdrew from Rose. He cleaned them up gently with a towel and she cuddled up against him, her head resting on his chest. Drawing a hand to his face, she traced a finger across his cheekbone, giggling softly._

" _What?" he asked._

" _The lights, they're dancing across your freckles," she replied, giving him a tongue touched grin. "I love it."_

 _His hearts went to his throat. This was the closest they'd ever come to those words in a moment like this. He opened his mouth carefully, ready to finally say them. "Rose Tyler-"_

The Doctor woke with a start, 6 hours, 42 minutes, and 53 seconds after falling asleep. Rose's laughter still rang in his ears as he blinked through the last vestiges of sleep and turned over with a lump in his throat.

This was worse than the nightmares that had plagued him when he'd first lost her. The endless white wall that he couldn't penetrate and the beach that was beyond his reach had transformed into a dream that he desperately wanted but would never come to be. And even in his dreams of what might have been if she hadn't fallen, he hadn't said the words. Still a coward inside.

The Doctor ran a hand through his hair and got out of bed, putting on his brown suit and running a hand half-heartedly through his hair. He headed for the galley but stopped short when he heard strains of Christmas music playing from the direction of the media room. He arched an eyebrow to the ceiling and sent out an inquiry but the time ship ignored him, so he followed the sound.

 _Why?!_ Why would the TARDIS do this? He had always loved Christmas, and someday he probably could enjoy it again, but not yet. The memory of Rose was too fresh and he suspected it always would be in this body.

The door to the media room opened as he approached and he stepped inside. Not only was _Rocking Around the Christmas Tree_ playing, but there was a six foot Douglas Fir, wrapped in tinsel and ornaments collected by various companions through the years, including several Rose had picked up during their travels together after his regeneration but had never had the chance to see on a tree.

"Stop it," he told his ship sternly and forcefully. "What are you doing?"

Finally the TARDIS answered him, not in a mental nudge, but in a sharp groaning sound.

Concerned, the Doctor made his way to the console room. He glanced at the terminal, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. They were still drifting in the Vortex. He punched in the coordinates for Calibris into the navigation computer.

"Let's get there and I'll check you out." He threw down a lever and the TARDIS landed with a soft thud.

The Doctor reached for the grating, to climb under the console and see what had caused the horrendous noise moments ago, but before he could move it aside, the door to the TARDIS opened. _Go,_ she told him.

Stepping outside, he found they were not on Calibris, and he made two startling discoveries. First of all, he could see the familiar streets of Westminster, Big Ben in the forefront, decked out for Christmas. However, this wasn't the London he knew, the Doctor realized as a zeppelin sailed across the sky overhead.

But that wasn't the most shocking part. It was the tingling in his head that he felt the second he set foot outside the TARDIS's mental shielding. There was a Gallifreyan presence in his mind, one that had not been present the last time he had stood on this world. Assuming this _was_ the one where he desperately wanted to be. It was entirely possible there was another parallel world out there with zeppelins after all.

Turning back to his ship, the Doctor stepped inside again and hurried over to the console. His hearts were beating quadruple time in his chest as he was overcome with a million emotions at once. He wanted to run directly to Rose, but he needed answers. He couldn't move forward without them.

Elation was foremost in his heart. A second chance with his beloved. Then there were nerves. What if she'd moved on? Given the intensity of their relationship and that it appeared to have only been a few years for Rose looking at the current date, he doubted that, but he couldn't exactly blame her if she had. He had _wanted_ her to go on and be happy, after all. Finally, there was dread that this wasn't real. That this was some mad dream within a dream, one of far-flung hopes that could never come to be, and he would wake up for real the moment he reached her.

Pushing those thoughts aside, he got to work. How could they be in a parallel world? Any parallel world? The walls were sealed. He'd spent months trying to get through to Rose and had come up empty. The TARDIS had mourned her just as he had. It didn't make sense for her to suddenly take him there.

In response to his thoughts, the ship confirmed the coordinates (yes, they were on Pete's World, a few years after the last time) and brought up manuals and detailed instructions for crossing the void. It was nothing he'd ever seen or read before, but he could easily follow them even though they were written in archaic High Gallifreyan. He now had a way through to the other universe and back again. It put a strain on the TARDIS's engines (and that was the source of the groan he had previously heard) but with the proper maintenance even that could be overcome and he could travel through dimensions at will.

Then there was the tingling he had felt. How could there be another Time Lord out there? It was extremely unlikely any Time Lord had chosen to ignore the call to return to Gallifrey before the Time War and were stuck in this exact date but hadn't been there the first time his ship crashed here. The Master was gone too. Which left the most reasonable and yet also most impossible answer. _Rose had been pregnant._

 _Yes_ , the TARDIS confirmed. He sank to the floor at the impact of the revelation.

"What did you do," he asked his ship hoarsely. "And why didn't you bring us here before? All the months I tried," he trailed off.

His time ship gave sympathetic hum in his mind. _She needed to be here, my Thief. They both did. Your separation was fixed, but so was your reunion._

The Doctor swallowed another lump, the swooping hope that had settled in his belly when he'd felt that tingling finally taking flight. Not just a Gallifreyan presence but a familial one at that. Tears sprang to his eyes and blinked them back. He, no _they_ , had a child together. Yet despite knowing it now, he didn't understand how. "We weren't compatible! What did you do to her?"

Annoyance flashed across his mind as the TARDIS responded. _The Vortex changed her, but she made her choice. She wanted to be with you forever. I helped give her what you both wanted._

"She shouldn't have… she couldn't have known," he argued.

 _It was her choice, made freely._ The TARDIS brought up medical scans of Rose taken after various scrapes they had had. Her DNA had been altered enough to make them compatible and her cellular degeneration was practically nonexistent. They could potentially have centuries together. _You weren't ready to know, my thief._ She gave him another gentle nudge. _They've been safe and protected, but now it's time._

The Doctor let out a shaky breath and nodded. His ship was right. It had taken Krop Tor for him to cross the boundary of friendship into intimacy, but would he have acted if he'd known what could happen? Probably not, he admitted, his hand ruffling through his hair.

The thought of having a family with Rose, though. It had never crossed his mind, being genetically incompatible, but the fact she had decided to carry his child filled him with a sense of awe (and no small bit of terror… he'd been a rubbish father the first time around, but he'd love the chance to do it again, the right way, with her). She hadn't thought she'd ever see him again, yet she still chose to have their child, and in doing so gave them the chance of being a family. He was beyond sick at the thought of missing any part of his son or daughter's life, or not experiencing that with Rose, but the fact that they had been out of reach of the Master, the Carrionites, and the Family of Blood was something he was thankful for.

The Doctor gave his time ship a gentle caress. "Thank you," he told her. "Now take me to Rose."

The rotor pulsed happily and moments later they were across London and on the grounds of the Tyler estate.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Doctor Who isn't mine. If it was things would be quite different. The BBC owns all and I bow before them. The Star Wars references belong to their respective copyright holders because as I have as much claim to them as I do to Doctor Who.

This is second and final part of my Secret Santa gift for tenroseforeverandever. I'm sorry part 1 was late and it's taken me this long to finish. But at least it's the Christmas season. Merry Christmas! :)

Many thanks to ameliapondersfic and jeeno2 for beta services. I made changes after they read it over and any mistakes are my own.

Recognizable dialogue belongs to RTD and the BBC.

Finally, giving credit where it's due, thank you to tenroseforeverandever for the baby's middle name. I might have fibbed about what I was writing (sorry, I couldn't be honest!) but it was a perfect suggestion, especially considering the circumstances.

Thanks to everybody who has followed and commented. It appreciate it all. :)

* * *

The TARDIS made the quick hop across London and while it was only mere seconds, the Doctor felt each and every one of them. His lives were about to change, forever. He knew the coming moments would stick with him through his remaining regenerations.

As he departed from the TARDIS, he took a glance around and saw the Tyler estate. One would never guess looking at it now the destruction that had rained down on it during his last visit to Pete's World. It was pristine, and considering the treasures it held inside, he relished the sight.

The Gallifreyan presence in his mind grew stronger this close to the source. His son or daughter was inside and not only was he going to meet him or her, he was going to lay eyes on Rose for the first time in what felt like forever, even to him as a Time Lord.

The Doctor was crossing the lawn in long strides when the door to the mansion flew open. A flash of blonde came racing for him, but unfortunately it wasn't the blond he'd been been thinking of constantly for the last year.

Jackie Tyler came to a stop in front of him, and scowled, her hands on her hips. "So you returned. _Impossible_ , you told her." She gave a quiet snort. "Not like either of you knows the meaning of that word. I knew one of you would eventually do it."

The Doctor gaped, speechless for a moment and confused at the implication. "I thought it was, Jackie. I tried, I tried so hard but it didn't work." He swallowed. "The TARDIS brought me here, just like last time."

Jackie's face softened a bit and she sighed. "Of course, Rose never would've been here in the first place it not for you. I never would've known my grandbaby either."

She gazed at him for a moment as if waiting for something but then continued. "You're not surprised. You knew, Doctor?"

He shook his head. "Not before today. The moment I stepped out of the TARDIS, I felt it. Rose and I…" he trailed off, not wanting to shed tears in front of her.

"C'mere, Doctor," Jackie said, as she pulled him into a hug. "There's a part of me that doesn't like this. They're both safe here and Rose is doing okay, but." She paused as he pulled away to look at her. "There's not a day that goes by she doesn't miss you or work to get back to you. You and your lifestyle isn't what I would choose for them, but I just want them to be happy. I've known for quite a while I was going to have to say goodbye eventually. I just wish it wasn't so soon"

The Doctor was intrigued by this information, but also extremely anxious to be reunited with his beloved. "Jackie, I promise you, it's not what you think. I'll explain later, but please, let me see Rose."

Jackie nodded and led him inside. "She's in the shower. Just give me a mo' to get her."

She motioned him towards a sitting room off of the foyer and the Doctor walked into it. It looked nothing like it had the last time he'd been there. Instead of the gaudy and pretentious furniture it had once held, it was tasteful and homey. A Christmas tree sat in the corner and the room was lined with memories of the life Rose had been living here.

The Doctor walked over to a bookcase. There were books on the lower shelves, but most of it was dedicated to picture frames. He drank in the images with rapt attention. Some of ones of Rose he could tell were taken of her just after their separation. Others though, showed her as her pregnancy became evident and progressed. She had always been gorgeous to him, but she was absolutely stunning in the pictures that showed off her rounded belly where his child had grown and he felt sorrow that he hadn't been able to experience that with her, to place his hands on her belly and feel the miracle it contained. It was something he would look forward to, if they decided to have another child.

Then, a lump caught in the Doctor's throat as he saw his child for the first time. There were three frames that said Family, Love, and Faith. The Family frame showed Pete, Jackie, and Rose. There was no sign of pregnancy so he guessed it was taken not long after Canary Wharf. The Love frame showed Jackie cradling a baby in her arms (so Rose had a baby sibling after all?). Then there was Faith. In that frame was a picture of Rose with a little pink bundle wrapped in her arms. She was gazing at their child with a look of absolute adoration and he felt the same awe that was reflected on her face in the photo. He had a _daughter_.

The Doctor let the knowledge wash over him. His eyes swept to the next shelf, eager to see more, but then a startled gasp made him tear his eyes away from the photographs in front of him.

Turning around, he saw Rose at the top of the flight of stairs, a hand on her mouth in shock. She stared at him for a timeless moment, drinking in the sight as he did the same, and then they were moving as if one. He ran across the room as she raced down the stairs. They met in the foyer and he swept her up into his arms, hugging her tightly as he spun her around and laughed with joy.

When she pulled back slightly and they were face to face, the Doctor's mind went blissfully blank except for the sight of his beloved. Her whiskey eyes, her rounded nose, and the smile that had lightened up some of his darkest days. All other important things were put on temporary hold as he was reunited with the woman he loved.

"Rose Tyler," he said, cupping her face. But once again, the sentence went unfinished as she grabbed his lapels and crushed her lips to his.

The Doctor met her kiss enthusiastically, lips sliding against one another and tongues caressing softly in a joyous kiss of reunion, until she pulled back to suck in much needed air. Taking his own breath, he finally, _finally_ , spoke the words. "I love you."

Rose nodded. "I love you too, Doctor. I have for the longest time."

"So have I. Since 'run,'" the Doctor confessed as he hugged her tightly one more. Her wet hair was damp against his cheek and dripping onto his suit, but he couldn't care less as she returned his embrace, breathing in his scent. He closed his eyes in pure happiness.

Finally sure that this wasn't a dream at last (nothing had ever felt this real), he pulled back. "Long time no see."

Rose gave him a tongue touched grin. "Been busy, you know."

"I saw that." The Doctor titled his head towards the sitting room. "I felt it. Rose… we have a little girl."

"We do." Rose's voice was soft as she took his hand and gave it a squeeze.

Then she bit her lip and looked him right in the eyes. "I didn't lie to you. On the beach, I didn't know. I really thought it was just mum, but we found out a few days later I was pregnant too. I've never been regular since I travelled with you and thought it was just taking a while for my body to adjust to this universe, but that wasn't it. I was pregnant for 13 months. Best we can guess is the biological differences kept it from giving a positive display on the tests I took. But one morning I woke up. I felt…" She paused, tears in her eyes at the memory.

"I thought it was you, Doctor. I thought you'd come for me, and I rushed out of bed. But you weren't there and I finally realized. What I was feeling, it was inside me. I just knew and then Pete took me to Torchwood and they confirmed it. It's a different company here, under Pete, and they helped me deliver her two years ago."

"It's okay, love," he reassured her. "I didn't lie either. I couldn't get through. But apparently the TARDIS was keeping secrets from me and today she told me it was time. She brought me here."

Rose blinked back her tears, accepting his words. "Would you like to meet your daughter, Doctor?"

He nodded eagerly. "I can't imagine anything I'd like more."

Rose led him up the stairs and to a room at the end of the hallway. She opened the door and the first thing the Doctor saw was stars shining across the darkened room. Rose turned the lights on a dim setting and the stars disappeared. She walked over to the crib and picked up their little girl.

"Hey there, sweetheart," she whispered to her. "I have a surprise for you. It's your Daddy. I told you he'd come for us or we'd make it to him."

She walked back to the Doctor, and he finally saw his little girl. She was the spitting image of her mum, but instead of whiskey brown eyes, hers were chocolate brown. His daughter had his eyes! He was captivated and reached out his hands for her.

"Doctor," Rose said as she handed her over. "This is Faith. Faith Jacqueline Tyler."

"Hello, Faith," the Doctor said softly. Faith studied him intently and then pushed her teddy bear towards him. "Paddy," she said, showing him off proudly.

"Paddy. That's a brilliant name for a bear. Hello, Paddy!" His daughter seemed pleased with his reaction and snuggled into his arms. As she nestled her head against his shoulder, he opened his bond with her, rejoicing in the telepathic contact. _I'm your daddy, little one. I love you so much._

"Faith?" He asked Rose, as he rocked the little girl in his arms. He knew she and her mum weren't religious.

"Yeah," Rose confirmed. "I knew I'd make it back somehow. I believed it. I couldn't not or I didn't know if I could go on at first. Then I found out about her and I knew we had to make it back. You had to know about her and she needed to have a daddy. We're working on a dimension cannon at Torchwood and it hasn't worked yet but we keep trying. So I went with Faith. Jacqueline is in honor of mum so she always has that, even when we're back home."

The Doctor was instantly in love with his little girl's name. "It's perfect. And Rose, we can come back any time you want. The TARDIS showed me how. She knew how to get here the first time and how to get back but she couldn't let me know. But now I do and we can make as many trips as you want."

Rose hastily wiped away tears that had formed in her eyes as he spoke. "Talk about the best Christmas present ever."

"Indeed it is, Rose Tyler, indeed it is." He glanced down at his daughter, asleep in his arms. He set her down in her crib and took Rose's hand once more.

"We have so much to talk about, love, things the TARDIS shared with me just before I arrived at the mansion, but I think it's time we shared the news with your mum. She thought I'm here to take you both away forever."

Rose smiled with a nod. "Then let's share the happy news." She squeezed his hand.

"Happy Christmas, Doctor."

"Happy Christmas, Rose, with so many more to come."


End file.
